Crossword, garbage, Rupert Holmes | Letters to the Editor

Courtesy of: John ChristensenJohn Christensen says Edmonds needs more garbage cans. He took this picture at Marina Beach at 6:30 a.m. Monday, May 14.

Yes, crossword reader is rigth, er, right

I look forward to your crosswords, and find the one in the May 10 issue confusing. Is the word “right” really spelled “rigth”? I believe something is amiss with 17 across.

Glee FolsomEdmonds

Editor’s note: There is indeed something amiss. The clue in question, “Act ethically,” was solved by “Do the right thing” except, as noted, “right” was misspelled. Strangely enough, those who spelled it the wrong way were rewarded with the right answers on 8 down and 19 down. The error comes from the syndicate the Beacon uses – the puzzle’s author was Myles Mellor, who is called one of the most prolific crossword writers in the world.

‘Pina Colada’ singer calls Edmonds Heights director, students

Re: “Edmonds Heights presents ‘Edwin Drood,” May 10: I wanted to let you know that, via a Google Alert, Rupert Holmes (composer/playwright/librettist) of “Edwin Drood” – and who had the hit single “Escape (The Pina Colada Song”) – read the Beacon’s article and saw the accompanying photo.

He tracked down my phone number, called me, and spent an hour and a half on the phone talking with my students about “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.”

It was a most amazing experience for them, truly inspiring, and many of them were moved to tears that the composer of their musical would take the time to personally call them and wish them well.

Thank you again for publishing the article – it is amazing how quickly it connected us. Rupert Holmes calling them from New York ...

Dorothy PierceRichmond Beach

More garbage cans needed

Edmonds calls itself one of Washington's most picturesque waterfront communities. Why can't the park department provide a sufficient number of garbage cans in Marina Beach Park?

Every morning there is an overflow of trash laying around the existing garbage cans.

It's summer and park use is up, folks!

John ChristensenEdmonds

Confused about letter

I am at a loss as to what Matt Richardson is trying to say in his May 10 letter (“Protests an indirect cause of school shootings”).

Violence is down – so school shootings are somehow less important? Gun sales have doubled – but what has that to do with school shootings, which are on the increase? There have been more than 300 school shootings since 2013. In 2014, The New York Times pointed out that mass shooting had risen drastically between 2007 and 2013 – from 6.4 per year to 16.4.)

"In rare circumstances, sick people" are encouraged by coverage, so we should not protest, cover or talk about school shootings?

Having to say something is not the same thing as having something to say.

Nathaniel BrownEdmonds

Rick Steves should stick to travel

I love Rick Steves. He has done great things for Edmonds. But I think he has spent more time out of America than at home. His opinions are just that, his opinions. He clearly doesn't support our president, and that is his right.

Steves is just another voter who didn't win and still won't live in reality. He is simply trying to support his travel business with his political views. But he’s has lost sight that most Americans are happy with a trip to Disneyland with their kids and will never see Europe.

Only 66 million Americans traveled outside the USA in 2016; 37 million of those went to Mexico or Canada. That leaves 254 million Americans going to Disneyland, national parks or driving on I-5 when we need to get somewhere.

Steves is in league with the elites who still don't get it. Working Americans have been ignored. President Trump is looking out for them. I won't judge him negatively with that fake news Steves writes about, such as CNN and MSNBC, as they do 90 percent of the time.

I will be thankful Trump is working to make the economy better, and has done so for all Americans – that can't be denied.

I have been to 26 countries since 1974. We just returned home from two weeks in Spain. Mostly, we stayed in the small village of Finestrat on the Costa Blanca. We used Steves’ book while in Madrid, and it was great.

Nobody seemed to care about America at all. As usual, folks just want to have a good time with their families.

As usual, when I returned home to Edmonds, I appreciated what we have here more than ever.

Reading about Steves’ biased political views trouble me. He should stick to travel writing and stop stirring up dislike for our president and, ultimately, our country.

Perhaps he could write about life in America, and how those boarded-up storefronts in small American towns are starting to open up again with new businesses. There are many new small American cafes with interesting local foods that Steves could cover.

He could write about small-town summer art shows by locals – like the Edmonds Arts Festival.

Remember: There is no place like home.

Glenn SteinbergEdmonds

Math doesn’t add up on parking spaces downtown

I’m all for improving the parking situation downtown.

I just don’t get the math in Brian Soergel’s article on May 3 (“City is boosting downtown parking: 75 more spaces coming.”) I read and reread the article, and I came up with 53 spaces max.

Tick-marking Fifth Avenue and Main Street gains 16-24 spaces. Reclaiming 14 from the Kitsap commuters gains 14. That’s 30-38. Bank of Washington has generously allowed off-hours parking for years, so that’s not new.

Better signage will help, but even if you count those 10 or 15 slots, my total is now 40-53.

Where do they get 75?

Paul KandelEdmonds

Economic Development and Community Services Director Patrick Doherty responds: One thing that may have thrown folks off a little was that the Beacon’s headline made it sound like 75 additional spaces were coming this year, when its actually a total of about 75 spaces between what we did last year and this year.

In several cases, the blocks where the Employee Parking Permit program is available (exempting permit-holders from the three-hour parking limit) were immediately adjacent to the main shopping streets (such as the half-blocks east of Fifth Avenue on Maple, Alder and Walnut streets; the half block of Walnut Street east of Fifth Avenue; and the block of Dayton Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues.

So the employee parking exemption was removed from these five small block segments, freeing up about 35 stalls for shoppers and visitors, as opposed to being mostly occupied by employees all day long. The impact to employees was that they have to park one-half block further east on Maple, Alder and Walnut and/or one block further east on Dayton.

If you add in these spaces with what he was estimating from current changes (30-38), you end up in the region of 75.

What’s more, last year Engineering personnel also freed up some additional curb space throughout downtown by eliminating or shortening some yellow- or red-painted curb, where it was excessive or not necessary. There was no estimate given for the amount of spaces this freed up – but possibly a half-dozen more.